News

Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle today announced the appointment of the first LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Liaison to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. Effective immediately, the position will be held by Cpl. Guy Saucier, a tenured law enforcement officer.

The purpose of creating the LGBT Liaison position is to continue ensuring an inclusive work environment for everyone – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity – and work to break down any barriers that may exist between law enforcement and the LGBT community. The LGBT Liaison will work closely with the Human Rights Commission Liaison, serve as a resource for sworn and civilian staff on LGBT issues in the workplace and represent the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office at community events.

“I am proud to appoint the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office’s first ever LGBT Liaison,” said Sheriff Ken Stolle. “I know Cpl. Guy Saucier will do a great job and will play a vital role as we expand our community outreach, improve our diversity and work toward effectively representing every part of our community.”

Cpl. Saucier has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience, including more than six years with the Air Force Security Forces and more than 21 years with the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. He is currently assigned to the VBSO’s Training Division, where he is the lead firearms instructor and a Crisis Intervention Team instructor.

“I am honored to accept the appointment by Sheriff Stolle as the LGBT Liaison for the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office,” said Cpl. Saucier. “I look forward to working with our community in this role and serving as a resource and advocate for LGBT individuals at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office and at large.”

The position was created in consultation with Hampton Roads Pride.

“Hampton Roads Pride is grateful to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office for appointing an LGBT Liaison Officer, an important position which will surely enhance the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the LGBT community,” said Hampton Roads Pride President Michael Berlucchi. “This appointment represents the ninth liaison position created at a principal Hampton Roads law enforcement agency and is a reflection of our collective desire to build mutual trust and understanding. We are fully committed to doing everything we can to support the work of the Sheriff’s Office to promote equity and inclusion in the workplace and in our community.”

The appointment was also praised by the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission.

“We thank the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office for being such a great partner with the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission,” said commission Chairman Raj Islam. “The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office regularly demonstrates its commitment to serve citizens by promoting dignity and inclusion within our City. We are proud to be a part of this wonderful occasion.”

Sheriff Ken Stolle, Cpl. Guy Saucier and Hampton Roads Pride President Michael Berlucchi will be available for media interviews today at noon at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office at 2501 James Madison Blvd. Those interested should come to the Administration Lobby entrance facing James Madison Boulevard.

NORFOLK –With the appointment of Sergeant Jessica Pennington as the LGBT Liaison Officer for the Newport News Police Department, Hampton Roads Pride is delighted to announce that LGBT Liaison Officers have been appointed in all of the seven major Hampton Roads cities.

The relationship between the LGBT community and law enforcement is rapidly evolving in response to changing laws, policies, and social perceptions about people who identify as LGBT. Hampton Roads Pride and regional law enforcement agencies are taking pro-active steps to enhance our relationship and to establish a meaningful, ongoing dialogue so that we may better serve our community.

Hampton Roads Pride has advocated for the appointment of LGBT Liaison Officers in local police agencies since Norfolk Police Department created the first program in August of 2015. Hampton Roads Pride, in cooperation with our local, state, and federal partners, has played a critical, coordinating role in advocating for, establishing, and supporting these important positions.

In January, Hampton Roads Pride and WHRO presented a community Town Hall conversation at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Over 300 people attended “Law Enforcement, Rights, and Safety” where members of the community and law enforcement professionals gathered to help establish and enhance vital bridges of trust and understanding.

The specific responsibilities of LGBT Liaison Officers vary from agency to agency, but some responsibilities include:

Serve as both a spokesperson for the organization to a local LGBT demographics as well as a representative of LGBT interests to the leaders of the organization. LGBT liaisons typically play an advisory role to organizations or government branches.

Promote equity and inclusion in the workplace, which can enhance an agency’s ability to attract and retain the brightest talent.

Liaison officers, who typically oversee diversity training on sexual orientation, attend special events and generally function as go-betweens, are viewed as critical to bridging the historically deep divide between the LGBT community and law enforcement

Help to build mutual trust, respect, and understanding

Break down barriers and preconceived ideas that both sides have of each other. Officers serve not just as an asset for the LGBT community but also as a resource for fellow officers if they have questions or concerns about how to deal with different situations they may face.

Meet with business owners, community groups, and individuals of the LGBT community and present information on relevant law enforcement issues

Attend events in the LGBT community as a representative of the agency

Identify and attend training related to LGBT topics

Hampton Roads Pride president Michael Berlucchi: “We are grateful that every municipal police department in Hampton Roads has appointed an LGBT Liaison Officer. Hampton Roads Pride is encouraged by the law enforcement community’s affirmative response to the changing social and political landscape for LGBT individuals. We are committed to working with law enforcement agencies across Hampton Roads to do our part to ensure that everyone in our community is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. I believe that Hampton Roads will become safer and more equitable place to live and work as a result of the historic appointment of LGBT Liaison Officers across all Seven Cities. This is a positive step forward for everyone.”

Sergeant Craig Lovelace, LGBT Liaison Officer, Norfolk Police Department: “I see the appointment of LGBT Liaison officers as a cultural shift, both within the police department and within society. The LGBT liaison role is to serve as a bridge between the LGBT community and the police department, helping to build mutual trust, respect, and understanding between the two groups. The liaison officer can advocate for the LGBT community by making sure their concerns are heard by the police department. Also, by ensuring that LGBT people feel safe and protected, particularly when reporting crimes.

Being an openly gay officer gives me credibility within the LGBT community and helps to foster trust with a population that historically has felt mistrust toward law enforcement. An openly gay officer or LGBT ally can say to the LGBT community, this is what the police are saying and this is what it means, and I can say to the police, this is what the community is saying and this is what it means.

The appointment by police departments of liaison officers for the LGBT community can greatly assist with the department’s progression and support of the LGBT community and thus build a stronger bridge of communication between the two groups, thus enhance police legitimacy within the greater LGBT community and society in general.”

Sergeant Michele “Shelly” Meister, LGBT Liaison Officer, Virginia Beach Police Department: “Liaison positions are incredibly important for public service organizations, regardless of the focus group. Liaison positions can be temporary to serve an immediate purpose for a specific event, or have a long-term vision to support greater goals. The LGBT law enforcement liaison position is incredibly important because there is a historical mistrust for law enforcement rooted in the LGBT community and conversely there has been a lack of understanding from law enforcement. As the Virginia Beach Police Department’s LGBT liaison, I have had the opportunity to bridge this divide and bring clarity and trust to both sides. Law Enforcement LGBT liaisons lend legitimacy to the conveyance of information through their positions, and can provide anecdotal experiences for real-life situations; this level of knowledge cannot be achieved through academic review but only through personal connections and community involvement, which is the hallmark of Community Oriented Policing. This country has a long history of using laws and police to further marginalize the LGBT community, however, the law enforcement profession has expended great effort to extinguish discriminatory practices, and the appointment of LGBT liaisons into police departments just solidifies this philosophy.”

Captain Kenneth W. Saucer, LGBT Liaison Officer, Portsmouth Police Department: “The Portsmouth Police Department is dedicated to the protection and security of all people and, in partnership with our community, to providing quality public safety services while affording dignity and respect to every individual. By endorsing the Portsmouth Police Department’s LGBT Liaison Officer, Hampton Roads Pride has paved the way for the Department to build trust and transparency with the LGBT community that we serve.”

If you are interested being on the Hampton Roads Pride Board of Directors, you may now apply online.

Board Member Responsibilities

Attend 12 Membership Meetings and 12 Executive Board meetings a year.

Membership Meetings occur on the first Monday of each month, Executive Board Meetings occur on the Third Monday of each month.

Chair or Co-chair a committee. Committee Chairs are responsible for recruiting and retaining committee members, holding meetings, reporting activities to the board and membership and maintaining their budget.

Be an active fundraiser and membership recruiter for Hampton Roads Pride.

There is a give/get policy of at least $500 a year. We ask for 100% participation for board members to donate from their personal funds as board member philanthropy helps with grants and corporate sponsorship.

May 14th through May 16th, dine in at the Uno Pizzeria & Grill and up to 20% of your check will be donated to Hampton Roads Pride to support our efforts! Grab some friends for some of that deep-dish Chicago-style goodness and do a little good at the same time! Just print out the coupon below and show it to your server OR just show them this post on your phone and you’re good to go!

Hampton Roads Pride is proud to announce our four 2017 Scholarship recipients. We’ve created a special page on our website where you can read their messages and see how much Hampton Roads Pride means to them. View page

NORFOLK – Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge, has been named Grand Marshal of PrideFest 2017 by the Hampton Roads Pride Board of Directors.PrideFest 2017 is presented by The City of Norfolk,Decorum Furniture, Newport News Shipbuilding, and WHRO.

Design*Sponge, founded in 2004 and updated 3 to 4 times per day, is a daily website dedicated to the creative community. Design*Sponge was declared a “Martha Stewart Living for the Millennials” by the New York Times and the “Top Home Influencer of 2017” by Forbes Magazine.Design*Sponge attracts a diverse group of devoted readers across the globe and currently reaches over 2 million readers per day.

Grace has been a featured guest on Good Morning America, The Nate Berkus Show, The Martha Stewart Show, NBC’s The Chew, Martha Stewart Radio Show, and American Public Radio and has been a keynote speaker with a wide variety of organizations ranging from design schools and trade organizations to design guilds and national corporations, like Target, Ann Taylor, BlogHer, Blogtacular, IDS, IDSA and Weapons of Mass Creation.

Grace has published two best-selling books. Design*Sponge at Home was published in 2009 and has over 120,000 copies in print.In the Company of Women, published in 2016, is now a New York Times Best Seller and has over 100k copies in print.

Grace Bonney was raised in Virginia Beach and graduated from First Colonial High School and The College of William and Mary. After 12 years in Brooklyn, Grace now lives in the Hudson Valley with her wife, Julia, and their three pets.

As PrideFest 2017 Grand Marshal, Grace will lead a dialogue, panel conversation, and book signing at the Chrysler Museum of Art on Thursday, June 15 focused on women, entrepreneurship, and design. She will lead Hampton Roads Pride’s annual Pride Boat Parade with an escort from the United States Coast Guard and introduce PrideFest headliners Village People at PrideFest on June 17 at Town Point Park.

Grace Bonney: “I’m so proud to return to my hometown of Virginia Beach to celebrate the wonderfully diverse, creative and talented members of the LGBTQ community and all they’ve contributed- and continue to contribute- to our area. The LGBTQ community is a vibrant and growing part of our larger Hampton Roads community and I’m so honored to be a member and to be leading this year’s festival.”

Michael Berlucchi, president, Hampton Roads Pride: “We’re excited to welcome Grace Bonney back to Hampton Roads as our PrideFest 2017 Grand Marshal. Grace’s life and career are an inspiration to many – she is a successful businessperson who relentlessly pursues her passion for creativityand design. Grace uses her considerable voice and platform to inspire and empower a global audience that includes men and women of all cultures and members of the LGBT community.We are proud of Grace’s many accomplishments and look forward to seeing her and her wife Julia during Pride Week.”

Kick off a weekend of PrideFest activities starting with the Chrysler Museum. Dance the night away surrounded by your favorite works of art. Start the night at 6:30 p.m. with a panel talk by Grace Bonney, author of Design*Sponge at Home and In the Company of Women. Book signing will immediately follow the talk.

Enjoy pumping music, live dancers, and tours of the galleries. Get hands-on with our Make & Take area or stop by the cash bar for a special LGBTini. A night you won’t forget!

Free for members of The Chrysler Museum of Art and Hampton Roads Pride.

PrideFest combines entertainment, vendors, and fun activities for all ages. PrideFest attracts thousands of visitors and brings together local residents, families, community leaders, civic organizations, and businesses to unite the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and allied communities in support of inclusion, dignity and equality of all people.

The profiles for the 2016 Board Nominees are now available on HamptonRoadsPride.org. All members of Hampton Roads Pride are invited to read about each of the qualified individuals interested in joining the Board of Directors. All members are eligible to vote on November 7th, 2017 at the November Membership meeting held at WHRO at 5200 Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk.

Interested in serving on the Hampton Roads Pride Board? Know someone that you would like to nominate? Well, now’s your chance! Download the 16-18 Nomination Form right here and get started today. Completed forms and resumes are due by September 9th, 2016. Submittal instructions are included in the PDF.

The Downtown Norfolk Council (DNC), a proud sponsor of Hampton Roads PrideFest 2016, has reached out to businesses in Downtown Norfolk to get them engaged in PrideFest. These businesses have pledged their support for Hampton Roads Pride and will be running specials and showing their support for the LGBT community in Hampton Roads and around the world. Please support the businesses that support you!

Barrel Room

Brick Anchor

Field Guide

Freemason Abbey

Granby Social Club

Granby Street Pizza

Green House Kitchen

Grilled Cheese Bistro

Groove Record Shop

Hell’s Kitchen

Kellam Galleries

Lamia’s Crepes

Saint Germain

Salon Fringe [20% off any service to any persons that are wearing any rainbow or equality item]